Christian wahl



CHRISTIAN WAHL, 0F CHIC'GOV ILLINOIS.-

LettersJatent No. 80,249, dated July 2l, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR DRYING GLUE.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHIiIsrrAN WAHL, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Drying Glue; and I do hereby declare `that the following is a. full and exact description thereof.

My invention produces the finished glue in thin flakes, of the best quality, by a continuous operation, which may be effected very rapidly, and with little labor. Some portions of my apparatus have been before patented, but the features have not, so far as I am aware, been before combined, and several features of importance'I believe to be entirely new.

I will first describe what I consider the best means of carrying 'out my invention, and will afterwards designate the points which I believe to be new therein.

Figure lis a side elevation of the entire apparatus, with the side removed to give a good view of the interior. i

Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line S S in iig. 1.

Figure, 3 represents some of the details on a small scale.

Figure 4 represents another arrangement of the parts, which is, on some accounts, preferable.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is an'endless chain, composed of links. joined together at theppints a, as represented. B are plates of metal,glass, porcelain, enamelled iron, orother suitable material, on which the glue is dried in a thin coat, which cracks and comes oi with facility as the operation of drying becomes completed.

l C C2 are polygonal prisms or drums, mounted on shafts c c, one above the` other, and at such distances apart as the workvwill require, or`as the dimensions of the building will allow. C3 is an additional prism, mounted out of the central line, and which performs an important function in the mechanismras will appear further on. The breadth of each of the ilat faces of each prism is equal to the length of one of the links of the chain A, and the several links ofthe chain apply successively on the dat faces as the prisms revolve. D is a trough or vessel, which contains the glue in a liquid condition. It may be kept at the proper temperature by steam-pipes or other approved means. I use steam, or the like, when required -to heat, and pass through eurrents of cold air when required to reduce the temperature. I propose, in some cases, to blow air through pipes immersed in the glue, and to let it rise in small bubbles through the glue, to aid in evaporating it:

Thel plates B, after being immersed in the glue m, so as. to coat the surfaces with fluid, are carried up by y the movement of the chain A, and are, for along time, exposed to currents of air, which evaporate the moisture. I consider it important to cool the glue as soon as possible after it is lifted out of the vessel D. One of the most convenient modes of effecting this is to expose it to a blast of cold air. i

E is a broad iluc or spout, from which a cold blast is discharged by the action of the fan e. The plates B are carried up in a series on one side of the apparatus, and descend upon the other, being supported upon the chain A, which is carried over the prisms C `C2 C3, which prisms are slowly turned, either continuously or at intervals, by means of a` steam-engine, or other suitable power not represented. During the whole of the descending motion, the plates B are exposed to air chemically dried. This air is supplied through the flue H i by means of a fan, h, it being previously robbed of its moisture, and reduced to a very thirsty condition, by

means of chemicals. i

The chemicals employed may be chloride of calciumcrystallized sulphuric acid, quieklime, or any other which will' serve iu the manner represented. The chemicals are distributed, as indicated by O, on the gratings p, in a suin'ciently capacious chamber, I. The air is drawn up through these several gratings, and exposed very thoroughly te the action of the chemicals, which' absorb its moisture, and it is th'en impelled by the fan, or other eilcient means, into the apparatus, and serves there efficiently in. drying the glue. It will be understood that the chemicals may be afterwards restored, entirely or partially, to their original condition by heat or other sazio approved means, so that the same material may, after havingA been rid of its-moisture, be employed, over and over, a number of times.

I can, if preferred, use the air thus chemically dried in a perfectly cold condition, that is to say, at the ordinary temperature of'the atmosphere, but I propose, especially in cold weather, to warm the air in addition to its chemical preparation. This warming may be eifected by a suitable air-heating furnace.V

'lheascent of the chain'A may be eiractly vertical, as represented, and the descent inay be vertical until it reaches theprism C3. From there the chain A runs inclined, as represented, until it passes under the lower prism, C?. In traversing the incline between the prism Cz and the prism C3, any pa'rtielesof glue adhering to the plates B are removed by'V the ,means now to be described. R R, &c., are `disl s, of` iron or other suitable material, ca .rriedon the rapidly-revolving shaft r, and formed'y into brushes on each face by fixing bristles or analogous inaterialin the faces of the disk,-as indicated. These disks alternate in position with therplates B, on which :the glue is dined; that is to say, each plate B, in passing the rcvolvingb'rush, is received between two of the diskslR'R, andI is Abrushedon each -side by the bristles thereon. Under ordinary circumstances, all, or nearly all, of the aky glue willfall from the plates before their arrival at the brush, but the brush is a very eiicient means of removing any particles which may occasionally adhere, and, by being again immersed in the glue, would tend to form bunches of glue. My brush would perform the same effect, in part, if it were not rotating. So, also, the rotating clearer would perform the same effect if it were not a brush, and were simply covered with rubbing-surfaces of flannel, or even of wood, but I prefer to make it a revolving brush, as described.

It will be understoodthat the cold air blown in by the fan e may, with advantage, be chemically dried also, if preferred, but I do not deem it generally economical to do so. The air, having performed its irst function of chillingthe glue on the plates, circulates along the ascending side of the apparatus', and escapes near the top. The'chemically-dried air circulates on the other, the descending side of the apparatus, arid mingles with the other air near the top, and both together flow out, through the passage G, into a capa-clous chamber, J, which is covered, at the top and upper sides, with wire gauze. It will be understood that-the air is ordinarily blown in a gentle current, but it is always liable, with every precaution,t'o carry out considerable quantities of the light flaky glue. The chamber J is provided for gathering these flakes by allowing the air to come to `rest in the chamber, under which condition the flakes of solid material will, of course, fall more or less rapidly tothe bottom, while-the air escapes, in a very gentle current, through the widely-extendedgauze at the top.

I propose to employ deflcctors, of vulcanized rubber or other suitable material, on the outsideof the airpassages, to compel a proper circulation of the air. I can also carry analogous detlectors on the chain A, if necessary. I

The special function of the prism C3 is to hold the descending \part of the chain, and, consequently, the descending plates, in such position that the glue falling by gravity thercfromcannot fall into the tank D, but will bereceved in the receptacle L, from which it may be removed constantly or at intervals. The glue received in L may be mingled with that received in the gauze chamber J, or they may be kept apart, according as it is found desirable in practice.

Fig. 3 shows, in miniature, an inclined mode of construction, which will allow the glue to fall outside of the :tank D, but it is not as good as that shown in the earlier figures, and is unworthy of a long description. l Fig. 4 shows a modc'of construction, -with the air-current entering at the top, and with the gaue chamber J and the glue-chamber L in o ne. This is also not worthy ot" detail.

Figure 5 shows, in a. similar small scale, a plan by which, while carrying out the main features ofthe apparatus, as above described, the gauze chamber is located at the highest point in the apparatus. This may, in some situations, be preferable;

The advantages'due to most of the novel features of myinvention will be sufficiently obvious from the drawings and description. It may be expedient, however, to direct special attention to the advantages of one part of my apparatus. The links of the chain A, by being rigid', and of considerable length, and jointed together, .as represented, and workingI over polygonal pulleys or prisms, as described, allow me to make thel platesB of such length that their. ends may'abut, or very nearly abut, together. This gives a much greater surface, in a given length of chain, for the 'evaporation of the water from the glue; in'other words, it gives more working-surface. The arrangement described in the patent issued to J'. A. Lighthall and R. Lighthall, April 28, 1868, describes a belt carrying plates, on which the glue is received by immersion in a. tank, and from which it falls by gravity when suciently dried by currents of air; but the L'ghthall flexible belt, working over cylindrical pulleys, would not allow the plates to occupy the whole surfae e and to be held firmly and true in position all the way around, as my constructiodand arrangement willr Aside from its other advantages, it 'is almost essential to the success of my revolving clearer R, or, indeed, to vvth'esuccess of brushing or clearing in any manner, that the plates B be supported very firmly. My links, hinges, and polygons, in combination withv each other, and with the other parts, make a completely successful machine.

Apparatus for pouring or squirting the liquid glue upon the surfaces B may be substituted for the tank D, if preferred. I i

Having now fully described my invention,'what I. claim as new therein, and desire to secure byvLctters Patent, is as follows:

1. I claim removing the Dthin g'lue adhering to the surfaces B, by means of a brush, R,against which the surfaces are presented after drying, and before being again immersed in the glue, for the purposes herein set forth.

2. I claim revolving the brushor clearing-device R, so as to actively rub the surfaces of the drying-plates, however slowly they may be moving,` substantially as herein set forth.

A i .A

3. I claim me uenecting-pulley C3, arranged to cause the carrying-chain to turn partially around it in its descent, substantially as and for the'purposes hereinl described;

4'. I claim the employment of rigid links A, polygonal pulleys Cl C2 C3, tank or' caldron D, and means for impelling drying-currents ofar 1in connection therewith, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

5.' I claim the lgauze chamber Jij, arranged, as represented,'relatively to the air-currents and ,to' the .tavelling-plates B, earring the vglue trolbe-dried,..substantally as heen set fortlh l 6. I claim, in connection with mechanism for drying glue, as-speced, chemically drying the air-previously to its introduction to the apparatus, Substantially as and for the purposes Aherein set forth. 4 l

Y In testimonyy whereof, I have hereunto set my name in presence of. two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN WAHL.

Witnesses:

C. G. LIvINes, W. Cf DEY. 

